Raptors Champion Reveals Being 'Hurt' by Trade

LA Clippers guard Norman Powell didn't want to leave the Toronto Raptors

During a recent Fix Media Network interview, LA Clippers guard Norman Powell opened up about being hurt by the trade that sent him from the Toronto Raptors to the Portland Trail Blazers

"I didn't wanna leave Toronto," Powell said. "I didn't wanna leave Toronto if I'm being dead serious. I wanted to stay. I always felt that the team that we had, the youth that we had, that core that we had, could've been what Boston is now. If you kept us all together... That young core we were rocking with in Toronto, we always thought we were gonna be the next up... When I got traded, it hurt. It hurt Fred [VanVleet], too... I didn't wanna leave Toronto, I thought we had something special."

Powell made it clear that these emotions had nothing to do with going to Portland, but rather leaving Toronto, where he felt something special was on the horizon. Having won a championship in 2019, Powell felt that young Raptors core was a couple additions away from being special, even after the departure of Kawhi Leonard. This of course never materialized, as Toronto is now likely heading towards a rebuild.

Eventually dealt from the Trail Blazers to the Clippers, Powell has reunited with Leonard, and is now a key piece to LA's bench. While he didn't want to leave the Raptors, things have worked out well for the dynamic scoring guard.

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